The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-04-14
CAMELEON.

lMELEON.
What l am astonished at is your
power over confirmed bachelors" said
Felina Drake. You are too voug for
that; but something cOmpensates eyi-
IDENTIFY"
Nelly, whom some of her friends
called Cameleon, was sitting over her
fire in the private paIlor discussing her
various lovers. with Fclina. says Rose
Hawthorne lathrOp, i'll the Epoch. For
tunately Felina was engaged to be mar
ried, and was not in position to feel
envy or to watch unsympatheticallv the
preliminary steps toward an engage
ment on the part of her friend. 1t was
an event which she eagerly desired.
that they might be entirely mutual in
their experiences. Felina might have
been jealous Of the Cameleon' = beauty;
but the young girl was of that charm
ing class of lovely women whose mem
bers appeal to their own sex by their
perfect good nature and child-like ii.
nocence.
80, can tell you how that happens"
the Camelcon responded, in her cheer
ful voice. Clever Mr.. Courtney told
me that my face would last we'll and
that he had seen hundreds of bellies
fade in few seasons, which had al
most made II miSanthrope of him.
E.Well, | think it a fine distinction"
Felina acquiesced. Younger men
don't think of that, and fancy that what
is chiefly youth is downright beauty.
But your precious cOuntenance will Ger
tainly mature to its credit, and ] can't
imagine you anything but excellent,
whether time pulls your face perpendic-
ularly or horizontally! Plump or thin.
pale or rosy. Cameleon, it will be sure
to remain Il face to conquer every
body"
Nelly sighed.
Are yoa sorry for anything" asked
Felina.
''Why, it seems rather labOrious,"
the young belle answered. 'sYou see
| have got to accept one of them-these
inevitable men-and it is so hard to
choose. There are so many professions
represented, for one thing. The hand
soonest and most fascinating of all my
admirers, in way, is Mr.. Bruce-Lv-
in preparation for fashionable doctor
OF medicine is fatal. | had not been
engaged to him for two days, Felina Q
never told YOU that did accept him at
tirs), when he prescribed for a little
cough which quite enjoyed and would
not have had cured for the world, But
it was SO lucky! might have actually
married him and heard all my life about
drugs" Nelly discussed her friends
hanI-embroitery for moment and
then continued: Il suppose | rushed
20 the other extreme after breaking
with the doctor, for | allowed Mr.. Will
liam Fenimure To give lie an exhaust
i've catalogue of his qualifications for
making me Il good husband. He has
all his time to himself until he inherits
from his father, when he must devote
some attention to the estate; and that
he did not need amy society but mine,
and should be happy in China if were
his wife. 1t looked to me like too much
leisure, You know, and / was afraid
that he had a passion for travelling
and that | should become thorough
Arab if | married him. How could
employ Redfern in Asia? / decided
positively against Mr. Fenimore.
When Mr.. Dal%ian offered himself |
was very much puzzled. Here was a
fine social position, in which | should
probably have been leader from be-
ginning to end and gone down in civic
history as the beautiful Mrs. Dalgian,
who entertained the elite of both hem
ispheres with such consummate grace.
Mr.. Dalgian is not by any means unin-
teresting. | often think of him, and
the flowers he sent me were something
astonishing. Felina; they showed such
imaginative taste: and he insisted on
my keeping this ring as an act of char
ity. Isn't it beautiful? He made his
family call upon me, and seemed 10
think he had accomplished Il great
work for his century when they had
paid me their respects. But oh, Felina,
| could not endure those Miss Dalgians.
l was afraid l should grow to be like
them. They seemed to be inconven-
fenced by their ancestors, as if they had
them still with them, and in a particu-
larly paralyzing condition, either as
ghosts or mummies; and they neither
looked to the right nor to the left for
fear of catching sight of one of the old
curmudgeons. 1t was such a pity, hut
! had to tell Mr.. Dalgian that | could
not think of it-that | was too fond of
the present"
Il must say, CameleOn, that it is one
of your little naughtinesses to keep the
off T,,-
as long as you keep it he will think
that you may relent; and hope you
will send it back tomorrow, dear
Meanwhile give it to me-" Felina felt
bound to say.
The girl complied, pouting and hand
ing her the ring.
Then there was Dick. Dear Dicki
He had no money in particular, and his
family were up-country people. But
how equal to anything he was, Felina!
How we talked of anything. from apple
cider to the queer old college professors
when they We're quizzed. | wanted
dreadfully to accept Dick. But he
would not give me a single definite
idea of what he could offer me in the
way of an establishment. He said, to
be sure, that we should live in Con-
necticut somewhere, at the old home
stead-where | suppose the ceilings
We're rickety, you know-until he had
made a reputation as an architect 1t
was very vague. 1t would be so nice if
one We're allowed to take fine young
man like Dick and give him Mr. Dal-
gian's position and Mr.. Bruce-Lyman
reputation, with Mr.. Fenimore's
money"
1T is to be hoped, Cameleon, that
you will find someone who combines
almost everything. wish he would